The Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern today threw his weight behind calls by Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman to have a third party investigate the Omagh bombing.
Mr Ahern said he had made his views clear to the British government that he backed Mrs Nuala O'Loan's calls to have a fresh, independent examination of the police investigation and of the atrocity itself.
He also said: "Everybody should assist the Gardai in bringing those responsible to justice," amid fears that some within the Irish Republican fraternity were withholding information due to fear or their politics.
During Taoiseach's Questions in the Dáil, Mr Ahern said the row could threaten the future of policing in the North.
And he said efforts should be focused on bringing the bombers to justice, rather than the wrangling between the Ombudsman and the Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan.
He said: "Both the Ombudsman's report, which raised serious concerns about the conduct of the investigation into the Omagh bombing, and the Chief Constable's response now deserve the most careful and reflective examination.
"The British government are aware of our view and we would think that a third party should look at this."
But he said the Government would not press for action until the Northern Ireland Policing Board had examined the matter.
Sir Flanagan has agreed to appoint a senior officer from Merseyside to take an advisory capacity to look into the Omagh investigation, but has rejected the idea of a third party to launch an entirely new probe.
During today's questions SDLP founding member Mr Austin Currie - now a Fine Gael backbencher - welcomed the conviction of businessman Colm Murphy who was this week.
He called for the "other 16" suspects to now be brought before the courts - referring to comments made by investigating officers that they had arrested all 16 responsible, but evidence could not be unearthed to prosecute them.
PA